Reflections on a Career in Prevention Science Focused on the Development, Prevention, and Treatment of Youth Conduct Problems

Abstract

In this article, I begin with a discussion about how the treatment of child conduct problems plays a role in their prevention. I then summarize three broad foci of my research career. Next, I describe those research activities in the broader context of my own life-course development. I first present an autobiographical account of how I became interested in prevention research on children's conduct problems and how these research interests developed at different stages of my career. I then describe several recurring themes that have characterized my career broadly. My hope in adopting this approach is that mid-career and senior researchers will identify with some of the events that facilitated my own development as a prevention scientist. I especially hope that early-career researchers (as well as graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) will see that developing a career path as a prevention scientist is often a nonlinear series of events, some of which are serendipitous, and many of which represent significant "turning points" (Rutter, 1996) in one's career and life. I reflect on the bidirectional and iterative nature of much of my research. I also stress the importance of mentorship (both as a mentee and as a mentor) and collaboration in the development and direction of my own research career.

Keywords: Conduct problems; Mentoring; Multicomponent preventive interventions; Parent management training; Risk/protective factors.